20 Most Intense Movie Endings Of All Time

4. There Will Be Blood (2008)

There Will Be Blood Daniel Day Lewis Paul Dano
Miramax Films

Paul Thomas Anderson's epic dramatic masterpiece concludes with a aged, alcoholic oil-man Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) living in immense comfort but having driven away anyone who ever cared about him.

He receives a call from greedy, corrupt preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), who attempts to sell him some land, which Daniel relishes to inform him has already been drilled for oil.

Daniel drunkenly bullies Eli before engaging him physically, chasing Eli around and screeching at him ("I am the third revelation! I told you I would eat you!"). It all ends with Daniel beating Eli to death with a bowling pin, finally delivering the titular blood audiences had been waiting for.

In the final moments, Daniel sits by Eli's corpse as his butler enters the room, to who Daniel whimsically declares, "I'm finished", before jarringly upbeat classical music plays us out.

Considering how brilliantly measured most of There Will Be Blood is, this blistering explosion of violence was all the more effective as a result, proving the ultimate, sledgehammer-subtle realisation of commerce prevailing over faith.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.